Playmate
by MyKnightLife
Summary: Kirby came to the castle to play with his friends Fumu and Bun today, but alas he has to wait until they are done with chores and homework. Having to find something to do in the mean time, what happens when he stumbles upon his mentor Meta Knight? One-Shot.


**My first One-Shot! YAY! This idea has been in my head for a while, but I hadn't decided if I was actually going to write it or not. Well, I recently thought "What the heck?", and jumped the gun. I gotta say that I had a lot of fun with this. I know, I know. You're all probably wondering why I'm posting this instead of working on Ill Fates. Don't worry, Ill Fates is still in progress. It's just that story has been a real pain in my backside to write for a while now, and I can't seem to make the plot turn out in a way I like. Either that or I'm too picky lol. Either way, I decided I needed a mental break from that story so I wrote this cute little thing. It's been really nice for me mentally to have a story that didn't make my brain hurt, while being enjoyable and easy all at the same time. I just hope Meta Knight isn't OOC given the content, but I honestly think I did fine. Oh, and this is my first fanfic with Kirby just saying "Poyo." That was a bit of a challenge lol. Anyway, I hope you guys like it.**

 **Edit 4/10/17 - Fixed spelling, punctuation, and minor sentence structure errors. Also changed a couple paragraph break locations.**

* * *

"Aww, sorry Kirby, I can't play right now. I have homework," Fumu said to the pink puff, as she held her head up with an arm like she was bored.

"And my mom is making me clean my room," Bun irritatingly chimed in.

At the responses Kirby was rather crestfallen. He had woken up to a beautifully sunny day, and had wanted to have a day full of play with his two best friends Fumu, and Bun. But, alas, it seemed that the world had other ideas for him.

Fumu noticed Kirby's dejected look. "I'm sorry, Kirby," she apologized, feeling bad for him. She knew Kirby didn't have many friends that played appropriately for his age, and she felt a stab of guilt knowing Kirby would have to play by himself for a while. However she added, "But when we are done maybe we can go apple picking, hmm?"

"Poyo!" Kirby cheered as he jumped up and down, excited at the prospect of apples.

Fumu couldn't help but giggle. "Alright, now run along. We'll find you when we're done, okay?"

Kirby nodded. He waved as he walked out of their apartment, closing the door behind him. "Poyo, Poyo!" he merrily sung to himself as he skipped down the halls of Castle Dedede. The thought of apples excited him, and he had a hard time containing himself. He just to occupy his time until Fumu and Bun were ready. But wait… what was he going to do during that time?

He stopped in his tracks as he put a hand to his mouth. He came to the Castle to play with Fumu and Bun, but they were obviously busy. He was hoping for someone to play with, but who would that be? There was Honey, Iroo, and Hohhe, but he didn't always like playing with them by himself. They tended to forget that he was little and could get a tad rough or bossy a times. He also had his "friend" Tokkorii, but he was never really one to play very nice.

Kirby started walking again, a little downcast. Normally in such a situation he would go to Kawasaki's to pick over any left overs, but in this case he wanted to save his appetite for apple picking later.

"Poyo…" he sighed, as he trudged along. He really had no idea what he was going to do to pass the time. He came for some playmates, but now… he just felt lonely.

He pitifully walked along, oddly passing no one as he went. This continued for a few more minutes as he walked the halls, making a few turns here and there, until he started making his way past one of the many balcony's and spotted someone familiar.

Kirby's face lit up. "Mena!" he called as he rushed towards his mentor, happy to see someone that he enjoyed the company of.

Meta Knight turned around at the sound of his pet name being called. "Oh, hello Kirby," he warmly greeted, giving a little nod as the beaming tot happily trotted besides him.

Kirby pointed toward him. "Poyo?" he asked, inquiring about what his mentor was doing. Thankfully Meta Knight knew him well enough that communication was pretty easy between the two of them.

"I'm just admiring the view is all," he said as he turned back to look over the horizon. "The Waddle Dee's take an hour long lunch break during this time, so it's always nice to look out and enjoy the scenery without distraction."

Kirby walked up toward the edge, standing on his tip toes to get a better view. "Poyo," he exclaimed in awe. From here you could see everything; from the village, to the ocean, to whispy woods forest, and even the mountains Dyna Blade and her chick lived in. He decided he wanted to see it better, and proceeded to clamber up the balcony rim.

"Just be careful, Kirby," Meta Knight warned, "I don't want you falling over the edge." He knew Kirby had remarkable balance for his age, but he still felt the need to tell the tot to be careful anyway. Kirby nodded his acknowledgment, and Meta Knight relaxed a little. It helped ease his mind knowing Kirby understood he wanted him to stay safe.

Kirby continued to look out and soak in the breathtaking landscape. He had no idea such a sight could even be seen from the Castle, and the way the sun shimmered and shined made it even better.

"Beautiful… isn't it?" Meta Knight stated moving closer to Kirby, noticing the tot's enjoyment.

"Poyo…" Kirby softly stated in agreement. Such a scene couldn't be bought for any price. He just wished he could share it with Fumu and Bun…

His thoughts were then taken away from spectacle as he remembered why he was here I the first place. He became a little saddened again at the fact that he had to play by himself for the afternoon.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle nudge against him. He looked back to see Meta Knight standing beside him, eyes glowing warmly. "You seem a little down in the dumps all of a sudden, little one. Shouldn't you be playing with Fumu and Bun today?" he inquired.

Kirby downcast his eyes at the question, giving a soft "Poyo."

"Are they not able to play right now?" Meta Knight fished. Kirby looked up at him and nodded, loosely holding his paws together. "Mm, I'm sorry little one," he said as he placed his hand on Kirby's head and gently started stroking. "Maybe they can later."

Kirby solemnly nodded, staring at the ground for a minute.

Suddenly an idea popped into his head that caused his frown to turn into a wide smile as he quickly looked up at Meta Knight.

" _What_?" Meta Knight said in a serious, yet questioning tone. He moved his hand off Kirby's head as he held it in the air, like he was holding it from some foreign object. Meta Knight narrowed his eyes, suspicious. Kirby wanted something from him, and he wasn't sure he liked it.

The tot had a rather goofy grin on his face, as he suddenly put his paws over his eyes, giggling.

Confused Meta Knight asked, "W-What are you doing, little one?" He gently took Kirby's paws in his hands and lifted one up, revealing Kirby's playful deep blue eye. Meta Knight chuckled, eyes turning pink. He understood now.

Kirby pulled his paw away from Meta Knight, put it back over his eye, turned around, and started saying "Poyo's" like he was counting. Meta Knight's eyes turned an even deeper shade of pink, a quirky smile hidden under his mask at the realization of what Kirby was trying to play with him.

"Poyo… Poyo… Poyo…" Kirby continued to count. Meta Knight quickly glanced around. Since the castle had been relatively quiet today, and no one was around to see, he decided just this once to allow himself to be suckered into a friendly game of hide and seek with his pupil.

"Poyo… Poyo!" Kirby finished. He then turned around, halfway expecting his mentor to still be standing there, but surprisingly, he was nowhere to be found. Only the wind remained were he once stood.

Kirby beamed, his heart practically leaping out of his chest from excitement. His mentor was actually _willing_ to play with him! "Poyo!" he exclaimed, the excitement coursing through his veins.

He then jumped down from the ledge, and started his search for him mentor. He spotted a large flower pot on the balcony; maybe his mentor was behind that? He ran up to it, checking behind, but found nothing. He then ran toward the balcony entrance and into the halls; what if Meta Knight decided to hide in there? He looked left, then right, but saw nothing. Kirby scratched his head as he walked back out to the balcony. Meta Knight couldn't have gone far as it wouldn't exactly be a fair game that way; especially with his mentors hiding skills, and his own knack for getting lost through the many halls. But if he wasn't on the balcony, and he wasn't in the halls… where could he be?

Suddenly a lightbulb went off in his head and he spun around, looking up while taking a few steps back.

There, atop the edge of the roof, stood Meta Knight peering over the side. He looked down at Kirby with his eyes upturned, indicating a smile.

"Poyo, Poyo!" Kirby happily exclaimed, as he spun around and jumped for joy, happy to have found his mentor.

Meta Knight leaped down from his perch, softly landing on the ground in front of Kirby. "So you found me. Good job, little one," he softly praised. Kirby beamed up at him, happy at the compliment. Continuing, Meta Knight then pointed to the tot and said, "It's your turn now." Kirby nodded and was about to run off to find a spot when Meta Knight stopped him. "But how about we go down to the courtyard to play? There isn't many spots up here to hide, and it's safer down there. Less places to get lost or fall from."

Again Kirby nodded as he started to turn around. He gulped in a large amount of air, and slowly allowed himself to float all the way down to the courtyard. Meta Knight followed suit, instead just jumping down to the grass below. He quickly surveyed the area, looking for any possible sign of someone watching. The last thing he needed was someone taking notice and spreading it around.

Seeing no one in sight, Meta Knight said "Alright, Kirby. Your t-" He stopped realizing that Kirby was no longer in front of him. He spun around, to check to see if the pink tot was behind him. Nothing. "Hm, you're a sneaky one, aren't you," he mumbled to himself.

He decided to head to the fountain, and go from there. He checked around the whole thing, in case Kirby was hiding behind it, but no luck. He was about to look someplace else when there was a sudden rustling of bushes behind him. He careful moved toward it before parting the bush only to find… nothing.

"Huh, I could have sworn I heard this bush move." It was then he noticed that the breeze had picked up more, and his cape fluttered with it. He just about face palmed himself, realizing it was a trick of the wind. Glancing about, he decided to check the trees in the courtyard as well. He went and checked every one, but still didn't find anything.

Leaning against a tree trunk, he mumbled "Okay, this is a little harder than I thought." He then walked back to the fountain and perched himself on top of it, deciding to get a better vantage point.

 _If I were Kirby, where would I be?_ he thought to himself. He looked around some more, hoping to see something new. The courtyard was mostly just the fountain with trees and bushes, and he had checked all those things. He must have missed something. Jumping off the fountain he started to make his way around the perimeter of the courtyard. He only walked for a minute or two, when he discovered a tall vase with a lid on it beside one of the castle pillars.

Meta knight gave a quiet hum. How long had that been there? Nevertheless he quietly approached it. He had to stand on his tip toes to reach the lid, but he managed to lift it off and peer down into the basin. And who he found was none other than Kirby; a huge and adorable smile plastered on his face.

Meta Knight couldn't help but chuckle. Kirby had sure given him the run around with this spot. "Found you, Kirby."

* * *

"Bye mom, we'll be back in time for dinner," Fumu called to her mother as Bun and her started walking out the door.

"Alright. Stay safe!" Memu called back.

Closing the door behind them, Fumu said "Alright Bun, let's go find Kirby. You got the basket for apple picking?"

"Yep!" Bun replied, holding it up.

"Good. Let's go! We should check for Kirby in the courtyard first. He may still be in the castle."

At that they raced down the halls to go fine their pink friend.

"Hey sis," Bun asked as they ran, "If Kirby is still in the castle, wouldn't the kitchen be a better place to find him?"

"Ya probably. But we have to pass the courtyard to get to the kitchen. We can check the courtyard first, and if he's not there we can check the kitchen next."

"Sounds good," Bun replied.

In a few minutes they had made it to one of the balconies overlooking the courtyard. They stopped to take a breather from the running before looking over the edge to see if Kirby was there.

"Hey, there he is sis," Bun said as he pointed down at Kirby. He hadn't noticed them yet, but seemed to be looking for something. "Hey K-", Bun started to call down to his friend, before Fumu suddenly slapped her hand over his mouth. Bun panicked for a minute, not expecting his sister to do that.

"SHH!" Fumu harshly hushed, trying to quiet her brothers muffled noises. Bun complied, but was utterly confused.

Fumu took her hand off his mouth before whispering, "Look!". She then pointed to something in the tree that Kirby was under.

At first Bun didn't see anything, so he looked at his sister and loudly whispered, "What?!" his voice laced with irritation.

Fumu rolled her eyes. "Look harder," she prodded.

Looking back at the tree Bun had to squint to see what she was talking about, but sure enough he eventually found a well concealed Sir Meta Knight. He seemed to be looking intently down at Kirby below, while trying not to be spotted.

Bun looked back at his sister, with a mix of disturbed amazement. "How did you even see him?"

"Shh!" she hushed again, clearly wanting her brother to stop talking. Bun complied, though rather begrudgingly.

They both watched in silence as Kirby peered up at the tree looking for, who they assumed, was Sir Meta Knight. However from Kirby's angle Meta Knight was unnoticeable, having wedged himself between a nook in the branches. This didn't deter Kirby though as he then inhaled a large amount of air, and allowed himself to float into the branches above. At this Meta Knight became very still attempting to not be seen, but it was already too late. Kirby had already spotted him before he even made it into the tree, and the pink puff almost exhaled in midflight from laughing.

Once safely secured on a branch, Kirby made his way to Meta Knight and let out a few giggles. "Poyo, Poyo!" he cheered in victory.

"Nice job, Kirby," Meta Knight praised again, gently stroking the top of Kirby's head. "I think I should learn not to hide in tall places whenever you want to play hide and seek though. You're finding me too easy now," he added, his tone lighthearted.

Fumu and Bun looked at each other, eyes wide. Sir Meta Knight was actually _playing_ with Kirby! Bun was about to laugh, but Fumu gave him a deathly glare that quickly made him choke it down. They huddled down behind the wall so as not to be seen.

"Don't laugh Bun!" Fumu harshly whispered. "Do you realize how nice it was for him to actually be willing to play with Kirby?"

Bun faltered, "Umm, ya I guess."

"Since when does Sir Meta Knight ever do something like that?" she continued.

"Uh, never," Bun replied, not seeing what his sister was getting at.

Fumu sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that Sir Meta Knight did something really nice for Kirby. Something that I don't think he would even consider for anyone else. What is more it was something that no one else would get to normally see, and yet we we're lucky enough to secretly witness such a side of him. He doesn't act this way with anyone else you know," she added with a wide smile and a glint of awe in her eyes.

"So what? Are you saying Sir Meta Knight and Kirby have some _"special bond"_ ," he teased, moving his fingers in quotation marks to add emphasis to what he was saying.

"I don't know! Maybe!" Fumu said, rather frazzled. "Look, it's probably too soon to say such a thing. But, this behavior is almost unheard of with Sir Meta Knight, and I would be lying to say that it doesn't intrigue me to see this side of him. I can't say for sure what their relationship is like, not yet. But at the very least it's good bonding between the two of them!"

Bun shook his head. "Whatever you say sis. Can we just get Kirby and go apple picking now?" he asked, getting tired of waiting.

Fumu sighed again, a tad disappointed that her brother didn't catch on to how big this was to her. "Ya, let's go. But!" she hissed as she pointed an accusing finger at her brother, "If you so much as mention anything about what we saw to Sir Meta Knight, I swear I will personally see to it that you end with all the chores for the next year!"

Bun gulped down the lump in his throat. He knew his sister wasn't kidding, and knowing her persuasion skills, he knew she would find a way to make it happen if he slipped up and spilled the beans.

"Alright, alright! Don't worry!" he said, as he started walking in the direction of the stairs to get to the courtyard.

"Good," Fumu said as she started following her brother. "Now when we get Kirby, be normal and act like we have been looking for him a bit already so it seems less obvious."

"Sis, I get it," Bun said, getting irritated that his sister wouldn't shut up.

* * *

At this point Kirby and Meta Knight had made it out of the tree, and were now leaning against its trunk.

"Well Kirby," Meta Knight started to say "I think it's time to-"

"Kirby!" a couple of familiar voices called in unison, cutting Meta Knight off. Fumu and Bun then appeared in the courtyard, as they looked around for the pink puffball. Once they spotted him, they ran up to greet him.

"There you are Kirby!" Fumu exclaimed.

"Ya!" Bun chimed in, "We've been looking everywhere for you! You ready for some apple picking?" he asked.

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby happily cheered. He started to follow his friends before coming to an abrupt halt. He turned around, expecting to see his mentor standing there, only to see that he had disappeared. Kirby frowned, and put a paw to his mouth in confusing.

"Is something wrong Kirby?" Fumu asked as she looked over her shoulder.

Kirby looked back at her, then back at the spot Meta Knight once stood. Realizing his mentor wasn't around he turned back to Fumu and shook his head, starting to follow them. He gave one last look as he walked, and at last spotted Sir Meta Knight peeking behind a pillar.

Kirby beamed and waved. "Poyo! Poyo!" he yelled, saying his thanks and goodbyes to his mentor.

He saw Meta Knight give a small wave back, and at that Kirby finally turned and ran off to join his friends.

"Bye Kirby," Meta Knight whispered to himself, eyes turning blue. "And thank you."


End file.
